Charlie's POV:angst filled summer at Shadow Lake
by ILovethe80s3D
Summary: You've read when the BSC visited Shadow Lake with Kristy's family. Mallory got a lot of bug bites, Dawn uncovered an island mystery, and Stacey and Sam began dating. However, would their romance never have happened if Charlie admitted his own feelings?
1. Age difference

_Disclaimer- I don't own the Baby-sitters Club because my name isn't Ann M. Martin._

_Disclaimer- Takes place during the BSC trip to Shadow Lake in SS 8 and has some resemblance—but it's a new story about Charlie._

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"Mom, think about it. If I drive my car, or one of Watson's, we'll have more room. I mean, twenty people crammed into three cars isn't just crazy, it's _dangerous_," I said as I jammed a suitcase in her ugly green station wagon.

"Nice try, mister. But I think we'll manage just fine with the three cars. Besides, I don't like the idea of you driving a bunch of wild kids for two hours to the lake," mom said as she handed me another suitcase.

I sighed. We had already had this conversation, but I thought she might change her mind after she saw how much luggage we were bringing.

And I really wanted to drive Watson's convertible.

My step-father Watson came out of the house, carrying a pet carrier. Inside, Boo Boo, his fat gray cat was meowing loudly. Shannon, our puppy, followed, barking and running into the luggage scattered around the driveway. I ran to her before she knocked over a carton of sunscreen and first-aid supplies.

"Charlie, don't put Boo Boo in a car until we're ready to leave. He's going a little crazy now," Watson said as he handed me a box with cat food and dog food. Watson paused to survey the mass hysteria on his driveway, but he simply turned around and walked back into the house.

I ignored him and threw Boo Boo's carrier into the station wagon. He hissed at me and rearranged in the cotton padded carrier. Boo Boo's been known to piss in that carrier.

I reminded myself not to ride in the same car that had Boo Boo. Jesus, twenty people and two pets, not to mention a shit load of suitcases—what a comfortable ride it'll be to Shadow Lake.

I lifted my Yankees cap from my head and wiped the sweat from my forehead. When Watson first mentioned this trip to a lake community he visited often as a kid, I was excited. I just graduated from Stoneybrook High School in June and was headed to college in the fall. I wanted to spend time with my family before I left. However, it wasn't just my family. My siblings, Kristy, David Michael and Karen, decided to invite eleven of their little friends. I scanned the driveway, with the mountain of luggage and children running wild.

Why was I looking forward to this trip anyway? Maybe I could get out of it...

I was about to complain to my mom again, but stopped dead in my tracks when I saw _her_.

"Bye mom!" she said as she climbed out of her car.

"Bye sweetie! Have fun and be careful!" Mrs. McGill called to her.

I watched as Stacey walked up the driveway with a stuffed suitcase. She broke out in a huge grin. She dropped her suitcase carefully on the lawn and ran up to my sister Kristy and her friends Mary Anne and Dawn.

She looked amazing. He long blonde hair was pulled up high away from her beautiful face. Her bright blue eyes sparkled across the driveway. She reached down and scratched at her tanned leg. She was wearing a short-sleeved powder blue shirt, short white cotton shorts and white tennis shoes. She stretched her arms high up and laughed uproariously at something Kristy said.

I've known of Stacey since she moved to Stoneybrook from New York and became friends with my sister. But, recently, I've found myself incredibly turned on by her. But, it's more than just a physical attraction. I've actually talked to her a lot recently—mostly about New York. She's from there and visits her dad there a lot. I'll be going to college there in the fall. She seems so much older than Kristy. I love my sister, but sometimes I wonder why Stacey hangs out with her.

Kristy's friends seem to be at our place all the time. Those nights I make sure I have no plans so I can be around when Stacey is over. They have sleepovers or slumber parties every weekend it seems. And, they're always running around in their silk pajamas and short shorts. It's easy to fantasize about someone when you keep seeing her.

And, when she's as gorgeous as Stacey.

I watched Stacey as she turned towards the street. A car had just honked at her. She ran down the driveway to help Claudia, who had just arrived, with her suitcases. Claudia appeared to have packed for two years, not two weeks. They were giggling and laughing. My eyes focused only on Stacey. As I threw suitcases and cartons into the trunks of the cars, I continued to steal glances at her.

She started to walk toward me. I quickly looked away and continued piling stuff into the three cars.

"Sorry, Charlie. Claudia decided she needed to bring all of her clothes and some of Janine's," Stacey joked as she and Claudia dropped four suitcases near me. Claudia giggled and covered her mouth with her hand. She looked away, embarrassed.

I looked at Stacey and smiled. I turned to Claudia.

"That's OK, maybe we could get some more room if Karen and her friends stayed behind," I said, raising my voice. Karen started screaming.

"Daddy! Charlie is being mean!" Karen cried to Watson.

I rolled my eyes. I noticed that Claudia and Stacey didn't leave my side. Claudia sure looked strange. She was wearing bright orange sweatpants she had cut into shorts, a red shirt and a yellow crochet vest. Her hair was secured in a bun with two sticks that looked like twigs. She had smoky gray powder on her eyelids. She could have passed as a _campfire_, especially after she whipped out a large Hershey chocolate bar from her pocket and started nibbling at it.

I was about to ask what car Claudia and Stacey were planning to drive in, when my brother Sam came trotting up to Stacey.

"Hello _dahling_. You are looking marvelous today. Really awe-inspiring," Sam said to Stacey.

I couldn't help it. I snickered. Sam can be so lame.

Sam blushed, but grinned at Stacey. Stacey rolled her eyes and walked away. Sam trailed after her. I watched as he followed her to Watson's car. He opened the car door for her and tried to help her in, but she was having none of it.

It was obvious. My brother was crazy about Stacey. She's cute and sweet. He's told me before that he liked her. I was not about to compete against him for her attention or affection. She's only thirteen. _She's only thirteen._


	2. A Shadow Lake fling?

I woke up early the next morning. It was so quiet and a bit cool in our room. Last night, we kept the windows open, since it was hot out. But it was going to be a cool morning. I rolled over on my back and thought about the previous day. When we arrived at the cabin, Sam continued to chase after Stacey. It was funny to see her shoot him down. I closed my eyes and started to think.

Where had these thoughts about Stacey come from? I realized that during the past couple of months, when she was over visiting Kristy, I was usually around. I talked to her a bit. I didn't think we'd have much to talk about. But, we bonded over New York talk. I told her a few jokes, and she laughed. I realized later that I liked her laugh.

I yawned as I climbed down the top bunk. I wanted to shower and use the bathroom before there was a mad dash to the bathroom.

I was dressed and ready for the day as everyone else in the room got up. I pulled on a pair of khaki shorts and a blue and white striped Hilfiger shirt. I walked into the dining room where just about everyone else was up.

I saw her. She was wearing an old-looking Hard Rock Cafe shirt and shorts.

"Morning everyone," I said as I leaned against the wall smiling and winking at Kristy's friends. Mallory and Jessi giggled.

Sam came walking out of the boys room and approached Stacey. I smiled, bracing myself for a good laugh at Sam's expense.

"You look ravishing _dahling_. That outfit is just..." Sam said looking at her shirt and shorts.

"_Ravishing_?" Karen suggested.

"No, uh, well, ugly," Sam finished smiling sweetly.

Stacey stormed out of the dining room. I shook my head. I couldn't help but laugh at Sam. He was acting like such a fool. But, then again, at least he was making an effort to show Stacey he liked her. I wanted to, but I knew I shouldn't...or couldn't. My parents, and her mother, would probably think I was just some horny older guy. Which was true.

Stacey reappeared. My eyes opened wide, so did Sam. She looked _stunning_. She was wearing a small hot pink tank top, a short jean skirt and pink sandals. She walked past Sam and stuck her tongue at him.

During breakfast, Sam sat next to Stacey and kept touching her hair. She looked like she wanted to kill him. I was sitting across from him and kept kicking him to knock it off. I guess I kicked a little too hard.

"Ouch! Geez, watch it Charlie," Sam said staring at me. I rolled my eyes and got up.

"I'm gonna walk around," I called to mom and Watson.

I slammed the screen door and started walking down the gravel path along the lake to the main part of town. A lot of people were out on their boats or swimming in the shallower areas of the lake. A few older men were fishing off a dock.

A few minutes later, I made it to the lodge. I went inside and found an information booth with a lot of pamphlets about the different water sports offered. I grabbed a few and walked to the dining room. They had a menu posted and I scanned over the meals.

As I finished, I noticed a group of girls staring at me. I looked over at them. They were about my age. There were four of them. I smiled at them. One girl waved back. She had long reddish brown hair and was wearing a light blue skirt and top. I walked to the door and turned around to look at them again. They were smiling at me. I opened the door and left, grinning.

As I walked back to our cabin, I decided that chasing after Stacey would be foolish. She was years younger than me, I was leaving for college in a little over a month, and my brother was crazy about her. Maybe a Shadow Lake **fling** is all I'm looking for here.


	3. Lunch and introductions

_Thanks to all those who reviewed my first two chapters. It means a lot to me. This is my first fanfiction, so I'd appreciate any comments or constructive criticism._

_I've already written the first six chapters. They're pretty long chapters. I think this is going to be about a 12-15 chapter story. I hope to update everyday or every other day._

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As I walked back to the cabin, I saw everyone had gathered outside.

"Charlie, there you are. We're going to the lodge for lunch now," Watson said.

"Great. I'm starved," I said.

We all started walking to the lodge. It took much longer than it took me walking alone—but that's what happens when you have eight little kids dawdling along. We must have stopped ten times for them to pick dandelions, throw rocks in the lake and examine bugs.

I tried to stick by Sam, but he kept slowing down to be by Stacey. I decided to leave him be and catch up with Kristy. She was walking with Claudia.

"What's that?" Claudia asked, pointing to the brochures in my hand when I caught up with them.

"Information about the water sports offered at the lake—parasailing, jet skiing, water skiing—you name it," I said. I handed her one. Claudia scanned it quickly. Sam and Stacey caught up with us then.I handed a brochure to Watson and Sam.

I turned to Stacey and handed her the last one. As she grabbed it, her hand softly brushed against mine. I quickly ran my hand through my hair and stared straight ahead.

I was confused. That small touch from Stacey sent more shock waves through my body than all four of those girls at the lodge did.

We reached the lodge and went into the dining room. Stacey, Claudia, Jessi and Emily Michelle sat at the table next to mine, David Michael, Nicky, Linny and Sam. As we ate our sandwiches and burgers, I saw the girls from earlier sitting together. They were laughing and making a lot of noise.

"Wow, look at that girl. Her skirt is so dibbly fresh," Mallory said loudly to Jessi. She even pointed at their direction. I looked back over at the girls. Was she talking about the red-headed girl? I looked--it was just a blue skirt with dark blue stripes--big deal. I rolled my eyes.

After we all had finished, a few of the younger kids ran into the gift shop with Watson and mom following them. Kristy and her friends huddled at one table and talked. I turned to Sam.

"Want to go parasailing in an hour?" I asked. I realized he wasn't paying attention to me. He was staring at Stacey. I sighed and stood up.

"Excuse me," a voice said from behind me.

I turned around. It was the girl with the reddish brown hair. She smiled brightly at me.

"Yes," I said grinning.

"My name is Kate. I saw you earlier today, well me and my friends did," she said pointing to them. I nodded. Her friends were smiling at me and playing with their hair.

"Sure, I remember. I'm Charlie," I said. Kate led me over to her friends. She introduced me to them and I learned that they were staying at a cabin with Kate's parents near ours.

"Well, we have to get going," Kate said as she and her friends stood up from their table.

"Sure. Well, good to meet you. I'll have to stop by sometime to hang with you guys," I said reaching out and touching Kate's arm. She beamed. I smiled at all of them. All of the girls were really cute, but Kate was the one who was bold enough to approach me. That means a lot.

"I'd love that," she said.

"We all would," Rachel, her friend, said. Kate blushed.

She turned and glanced at the BSC members. Stacey and Claudia were looking casually at Kate and her friends. Mary Anne and Dawn were whispering to each other and looking at them. Kristy was saying something that made Mallory and Jessi shriek loudly. Kate looked back at me.

"Who...are they with you?" Kate asked. I laughed.

"Unfortunately. She's my sister," I said, pointing to Kristy. "And they're all her friends. They only move en masse," I joked. She nodded and looked pleased. She watched as they all got up and walked over to the gift shop.

Kate's friends grabbed her and told her they had to leave. I waved good-bye.

I walked over to my family and everyone who were assembled outside the gift shop.

"Do you know those girls, Charlie?" mom asked as they walked out the lodge. I smiled at her.

"Looks like," I said as Emily Michelle came running towards me with a bright red Shadow Lake hat on. I picked her up and twirled her around. She roared with laughter.

As we walked back to our cabin, Sam kept pestering Stacey. His idea of a compliment was telling her that she had sweet blood that attracted mosquitoes. Jesus. If I came on to Stacey, she wouldn't be rolling her eyes, she'd be rolling all over me. I smiled at the thought.

I noticed Nicky and Linny were fighting. I tried to calm them down, but I was never good at taking care of children. That's obviously Kristy's area. Sam pulled me aside.

"Charlie, do you think Stacey likes me?" Sam asked hopefully. I shook my head.

Stacey then walked by. She was digging through her small purse. She saw us looking at her. She shoved a mirror in her purse and sprinted to the cabin, passing all of her friends. I never saw a girl run away from a guy like that. It was kind of funny.

"Oh, definitely," I smirked.


	4. Talking and not talking

"Hi Charlie!" Kate says as she rushes up towards me.

It was late Monday afternoon. Sam and I had just been parasailing and jet skiing all morning and early afternoon. In fact, I was still wearing my blue swim trunks and a white SHS shirt.

I turned around and smiled. Kate's cheeks were flushed and her face looked like she was in the sun today. She was wearing a white sundress with bright yellow sandals.

"Hey Kate. What are you up to?" I asked as I guided her out of the sun and under the shade of a tree.

"I, uh, was actually looking for you," she said, batting her eyelashes. "Are you hungry?" she asked. I shrugged.

"Kind of, but I'm gonna eat dinner with my family in about an hour," I said. She nodded.

"Well, do you want to grab a Coke or something at the lodge?" she asked.

"Sure, only if I pay," I said. She beamed. We walked the couple of blocks to the lodge. We walked in silence, and I found myself not worrying about making conversation. It was a very comfortable silence. No talking—just sounds of the lake, birds chirping and a dog barking in the distance.

As we walked up to the lodge, I saw Stacey standing near the side entrance. She was alone. She saw us approach.

"Hey Charlie," she said smiling. I smiled back at her. Stacey looked at me, then to Kate, and back to me. Oh.

"Kate, this is Stacey, one of my sister's friends. Stacey, this is Kate," I said gesturing with my hand. They smiled at each other and said hello.

More silence—only this time, it was uncomfortable silence.

"Well…" I started. Should I invite Stacey with Kate and me? She was alone. "We're about to grab a Coke, do you want to join us?" I asked Stacey. I turned to Kate and shrugged my shoulders.

"Oh…no, thanks. I'm headed back. I should find Dawn. She's probably looking for me, but I was trying to hide from…" Stacey said, trailing off. She looked a little guilty. I laughed.

"From my idiot brother?" I asked laughing. Stacey laughed back and nodded. She said good-bye and walked away. I watched saunter away…only for a second though.

I turned to Kate and apologized.

"Sorry about that. I felt like I should invite her," I said. She smiled.

"That's OK…and was very sweet of you," she said. I opened the door for her and followed her in the lodge. We walked up to a snack stand at the lodge. Kate ordered a Diet Coke, I ordered a Coke. We walked over to an open area of the lodge and sat down on a overstuffed couch.

I was enjoying being with Kate. The lodge was quiet since it was still another hour until supper time. We pretty much had the entire lobby to ourselves. I had already downed half of my Coke and was about to ask her if she was ready to get going when...

"So, Charlie, tell me more about yourself," Kate said as she sipped coyly from her bottle.

I decided to answer with a witty, smart-ass response. It's part of my charm.

"Seventeen-year old with pent up rage issues. I have several tattoos, and I can't pick a favorite. Womanizer, kleptomaniac and straight-A student," I replied. She laughed loudly. I smiled at her. The "tell me about yourself" questions are so lame. How can one answer without sounding like a personal ad?

"I know, it's a lame question," Kate admitted. She shrugged. "I just want to learn more about you." She looked kind of serious—tucking her long hair behind her ears and leaning forward toward me.

"Don't you like what you see?" I asked, teasing. She laughed.

"Your good looks could be massively deceiving," she replied smiling. She tucked her knees up to her chin and looked at me. She was waiting for me to describe myself.

"OK," I shrugged. "I'm from a small town in Connecticut. Uh, I've got two brothers, two sisters and a step-brother and step-sister. I'm the oldest. I play football and baseball. I'll be off to NYU in a few weeks," I said. "And, you?"

"I'm an only child. I like to play tennis. I'll be a senior in high school in the fall. And, I'm from Boston," she said. "Do you live with your mom or dad?" she asked quickly.

I was a bit taken back. How did she…oh right, my step-siblings.

"With my mom and step-father," I said, hoping she wouldn't ask about my father. I cleared my throat and stared out the window at the lake. An impressive yacht cruised by. It was all white with massive windows. Maybe Watson should get one. It was getting close to dusk, and the sky was turning pink.

"Are your parents divorced, or is your dad de…" sheasked cautiously. I cleared my throat.

"No, no. My parents are divorced," I said. "And, no, I don't see my father at all," I added. Kate looked a little wounded. I sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just something I don't like to talk about."

"I understand, and I'm sorry I intruded," she said softly. She sipped at her drink. I sighed and stood up. I grabbed her hand.

"Come on, I'll walk you back to your cabin," I said. She smiled. We threw our bottles in the trash can and headed for the door. She reached for my hand.

We walked back to our cabins, hand in hand. Neither of us said a word.


	5. A college man, a high school dilemma

_Thanks again for the reviews/comments. I've really tried to have this story coincide with the events/drama of SS 8--one BSC book I've actually kept since I was, what, 12. However, if anyone sees any kind of major mistake...please yell at me._

_Halo6: Thanks for telling me about anonymous reviews. I didn't even know that I could enable/disable reviews. Now, anyone can review my first fanfic! Hurray!_

"Charlie, help Watson with the grill, will you?" My mom called to me from the kitchen.

I was lying down on my bed, or actually, the small twin-sized mattress of a bunk bed. I was wiped. I had spent the entire day at the lake. Parasailing was awesome. I had also been swimming and jet skiing. My arms were sore and I was a little sunburned.

Spending nearly seven hours on the lake helped me keep my mind off of Kate. I hadn't seen her all day. I was a little happy that I didn't. I kept thinking about our conversation the other day. She was a nice girl, but I thought she was being a little too serious. I was only interested in a fling. I know that may sound a little "player-ish", but I would probably never see Kate again after we left in a week and a half.

I crawled down the upper bunk and staggered into the kitchen. My mom was grabbing stuff out of the refrigerator. The kitchen counter was covered with hamburger and hotdog buns, paper plates and a bunch of hamburger toppings.

Kristy walked into the kitchen.

"What's going on? Aren't we eating dinner at the lodge? We've eaten there every night," Kristy asked as she grabbed a tomato slice. She leaned against the counter and started nibbling at it.

"No, honey. Watson wants to barbecue out tonight. Besides, I'm a little tired of the lodge food," mom said as she shut the fridge door and set a package of sliced cheese on the counter.

"That sounds good," I said. Mom handed me a plate of hamburger patties and hotdogs. "Take these to Watson honey."

I walked out to the front yard, where Watson had set up a large charcoal grill. My stepsister Karen and her two little friends were lying on the grass making dandelion necklaces. Andrew and Emily Michelle were jumping up and down at Claudia, and she was trying to calm them down. I handed the platter to Watson.

"Thanks Charlie. Do you wanna start a fire over there? The kids can toast marshmallows after dinner," Watson said pointing at a pit at the side yard. I grabbed a few logs of firewood and set them at the pit. David Michael ran over with two more logs. I thanked him and told him to see if mom needed more help.

Kristy came running out the front door.

"Hey guys! BSC members! We're gonna eat at the lodge instead..._just us_!" she yelled. She thundered down the front stoop and ran to Claudia. Jessi and Mallory came strolling up.

"Cool! By ourselves...like adults?" Mallory asked. Kristy nodded.

"Stace, Dawn and Mary Anne are already inside," Kristy said. The four of them walked back inside. I watched them go inside. I grabbed the long lighter from Watson and started the fire-only after Watson told me to be careful. Well, duh. I have used a lighter before. There would only be an accident if cologne-abuser Sam walked by.

As I added more logs to the fire, the Cool Water-addict walked up to me.

"Hey Charlie. Do you want to eat dinner at the lodge instead?" Sam asked. I looked at him.

"Why? Watson's grilling out," I said as I poked at the fire with a long stick.

"I know, but Stacey's going to…" Sam said trailing off. I snorted.

"C'mon, Sam. I don't think she'll appreciate you crashing the BSC get together. Kristy wouldn't like it either," I said. He shrugged, but agreed. The fire was really going by then.

"I've been following her today, Charlie, and I think she's starting to like me," Sam said in a trance-like state. His eyes were fixed on the fire.

"Maybe," I said absentmindedly. I really didn't want to have a conversation about Stacey with Sam, even though I was a little curious why he thought so.

The screen door opened and slammed shut. Kristy and her friends came running down the stairs. Sam and I did a double look. For one thing, our sister was wearing a dress. That was strange. Also, Mallory had on a large safari hat with black netting covering her head and draped down to her shoulders.

However, the real thing that drew both Sam and my attention was Stacey. She was looking incredible. Her long blonde hair was loose and trailed down her back. She was wearing a long-sleeved black shirt, a short flared black skirt and black heels. Heels? At a lake? No matter though, she looked unbelievable.

Sam let out a low wolf whistle as the BSC members walked by us.

"Have a great time, _dahling_. Hopefully the desserts will be as sweet as you," Sam called out to her. Stacey must have pretended to ignore him because she didn't even turn to him. They all rushed down the main road to the lodge.

"She's diabetic, Sam. Remember?" I said. Sam groaned and slapped his forehead.

After a couple of hours--after the barbecue where I ate three hamburgers and the younger kids had made s'mores--Sam and I were sitting around the fire. Mom, Watson and Nannie were inside helping the younger kids get ready for bed.

"Hey, what's going on with you and that one girl…uh, Kate?" Sam asked as he grabbed two Coke cans from a cooler and handed me one. I shrugged.

"I don't know. She's a real sweet girl, but what's the point?" I said staring at the fire.

"Point?" Sam asked confused. I sighed.

"What's the point of getting to know her?" I said, rubbing my eyes. I was growing a bit tired. I had been asking myself the same question after I had walked Kate back to her cabin the other day.

"We're here for another week. Then what? We'll never see each other again. I'll be off to New York. I'm not really a guy who will write or email a girl I was kind of hanging out with for two weeks," I added.

"Well, if Watson inherits this place from his uncle and aunt, we'll be here more often. Summers? Christmases?" Sam said. I waved my hand at that thought. Sam looked thoughtful, but he nodded.

"I can see your point," Sam said slowly. "I think what's really going on with, you know, me and Stacey, is that in a couple of months we'll both be in the same school. I like that we'll be together...even if we're not _together_ together. You know that I've always liked her. It was just, well, hard to like her when she was in middle school," Sam rambled.

I nodded, but tried to appear nonchalant about this conversation. The truth--I was totally absorbed in this Stacey talk.

"I don't know. Is it wrong for me to now really start liking her just because she's now in high school...or going to be soon anyways?" Sam asked. I paused, not really knowing how to answer. However, Sam was waiting for my answer.

"You know, if it was always there, your um fondness of Stacey, then I don't think it's wrong for you.." I trailed off. I didn't know how to answer. However, I did know that at that moment, I was completely jealous of my little brother. He got to be in high school and have a chance with Stacey. I didn't.

Suddenly, we heard voices approaching. Sam stood up and started fixing his hair. "I think Stacey's back," he whispered. I nodded.

Kristy and her friends strolled up the road and walked over to the campfire. Claudia, Kristy and Mallory grabbed the bag of marshmallows and box of graham crackers.

"How was the barbecue?" Kristy asked.

"Company could have been better," Sam said winking at Stacey. Kristy snorted.

"Charlie, how was the barbecue?" she asked again. I laughed.

"It was good. There's a lot of leftovers for lunch tomorrow for all of you guys," I said as I got up and brought the cooler over.

"Drinks?" I asked Kristy's friends. They all clamored over to the cooler. I smiled at Stacey and handed her a Diet Dr. Pepper. Her face, softened by the fire glow, broke out in a smile.

I suddenly found my face getting hot. It wasn't the fire. I chugged down the rest of my coke and let out a deep breath.

"This is the perfect place for telling ghost stories," Dawn said as she grabbed a long stick and poked at the fire. "There's a real scary mystery right here, well, at Shadow Island," she added.

I leaned back in my chair and looked at Dawn.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

Dawn started going on and on about some mystery with a rich family that lived here at Shadow Lake. They disappeared one night during a big storm. I looked around the fire. Mallory and Mary Anne's eyes were widening in fear. Kristy and Claudia were too busy with making (more) s'mores to listen. Sam was staring at Stacey.

"I bet they're still here, haunting Shadow Lake," Dawn said. Everyone grew silent. Suddenly, there was a rustle in the woods just adjacent to the side yard.

"Did you guys hear that?" Jessi asked timidly?

We all quieted down and strained to hear. There was another rustle and faint footsteps coming from the wooded area.

It was obviously just a stray cat or maybe a raccoon.

I knew I would have to calm them down. I got up and walked to the edge of our yard. It was dark, but there was nothing there but a lot of trees.

"Nothing," I said as I walked back. I saw Stacey had moved closer to Sam, looking a bit frightened. In fact, if Stacey was sitting any closer to Sam, she'd be sitting in his lap.

I looked away. I couldn't help it, but that kind of bothered me. I asked Sam to extinguish the fire before he came inside.

I walked up the front porch and into the cabin, cursing silently for being seventeen.


	6. A lakeside reunion

_A/N: It's been a while since I've updated this story. I'm sorry about that--I've been busy, and I'm also struggling on how to end this story. I had a particular ending in mind...but I don't think it'll work now. I'll make up my mind soon--I do want it to stay in sync with SS 8._

_Thanks again for the reviews._

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"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's morning. Doo-doo-dee-wah-wah-wah," a voice sang out very early Friday morning.

I turned in my bed and pulled my pillow over my head. I haven't been able to sleep in since we've arrived at Shadow Lake. It's tough when you're sharing a room with four little kids. I'd be better off pitching a tent and camping out for the rest of the trip.

I opened my eyes. It was Andrew. He was up-- singing and dancing in the room. Sam yelled at him to be quiet.

"It's too late, we're all up," I groaned as I sat up. Everyone started to climb out of his bed. I yawned and sat up in bed. Sam and I were letting the younger kids use the bathroom first. We waited until they were done and then went in.

I brushed my teeth and washed my face. I reached into the cabinet and grabbed my shaving cream and razor. As I was spreading shaving cream on my chin and above my lip, I caught Sam watching me, kind of intently. I laughed.

"Another five years or so Sam," I joked. He sprayed me with water. I just recently started to shave. I kind of get whiskers after a few days. I'm thinking about growing some sort of beard or goatee, but it might be embarrassing because it would probably take six months.

After I had finished and patted my face dry, I left Sam alone in the bathroom. I was pretty sure he would be in there for a while, studying his reflection--searching for any sign of facial hair.

I got dressed in my black Nike swimming trunks and a white NYU sleeveless shirt. I set my silver Oakley shades on my head and walked into the kitchen. I quickly sat down next to Kristy. Stacey was sitting across from her.

I eyed her with interest. I could have watched her all day, until Claudia said something about entering our little speedboat into the boat parade. Claudia went on and on about decorations and costumes.

"Excuse my lateness," Sam called as he stepped into the kitchen. Kristy rolled her eyes as Sam grabbed the pitcher of orange juice and poured himself a glass, but only after he refilled Stacey's glass. Sam sat down two places down from Kristy.

"You guys are entering our little Faith Pierson in to the parade with all those fancy yachts?" I asked dubiously. I watched Claudia glare at me and turn a deep shade of red.

"Yes! So?" Claudia answered testily.

"Nothing. Never mind," I mumbled back. I avoided Claudia's icy glare and gulped down half of my orange juice. It was an uncomfortable breakfast. I mentally planned out my morning and afternoon--making sure to stay away from my family and Kristy's friends.

Suddenly, a Cheerio O flew across the table and landed on Stacey's buttered toast. Sam. Stacey freaked out.

"Gross! You're such a pest, Sam!" she groaned loudly. She pushed the tainted toast towards him, as if to say there was no way in hell she was eating it now.

I laughed to myself. Although, I knew that I could probably never attempt to hook up with Stacey, it was nice to know that she wasn't going to be hooking up with my brother any time soon.

After breakfast, Sam and I walked down to the lodge. We were going waterskiing again. It was only our second time, but I was getting pretty good. I loved gliding back and forth, being pulled by a speedboat. The water splashing in my face. It's an incredible feeling.

As Sam and I returned to the lodge to pay for our two-hour water skiing activity, he started asking me for advice on Stacey. He was genuine and concerned. I realized that he really did like Stacey, and that his childish actions were just an attempt to get her attention.

"Sam, I've been watching Stacey...and you," I added quickly. "I've witnessed all those childish attempts to get Stacey's attention," I told him. "Have you actually really talked to her? Or just thrown cereal at her?"

"Well…you know," he said, looking ashamed. "Just the Cheerio," he added shrugging his shoulders. I nodded.

"Talk to her, man. Tell her how you feel," I said, feeling slightly pained.

"Maybe I should sort of push her in and then dive in and save her,"Sam said as he grinned wickedly. "I could, you know, give her CPR," he added.

"She can swim, idiot. Besides, you try CPR on her when she's breathing and you'll get arrested or at least a good kick in the stomach," I said. He agreed. Sam started to head back to the cabin. I hesitated. Right now, I just wanted to be alone. But, I wanted to be nearby if Stacey did turn Sam down. I told Sam I'd meet up with everyone again a bit later. I watched him disappear down the road.

I walked over to the large wooden deck that looked over the lake. There were a few people at tables eating a late lunch. I grabbed an empty chair and pulled it over near the ledge. There was a lot of activity on the lake. Boats, jetskis, you name it.

"Hey, stranger," a familiar voice called out.

I looked up. It was Kate. She was smiling nervously at me. She was wearing a bright pink top that was kind of sheer. I could see her pink and purple bikini underneath. She sat down near me.

"Hey, how are you kiddo?" I asked.

"I'm good. I've missed you," she added quickly. I nodded. We hadn't spoken for a few days…since our first talk.

"Me, too," I added. I took her hand and gently squeezed it. She moved her chair closer to me. We talked a little. She told me her parents were entering their boat into the parade. They had done it up in a Mardi Gras theme. I told her about water skiing and our cookout. We never mentioned our last conversation.

She looked at something over my shoulder. I turned around and saw Stacey running to the lodge.

"Isn't that...um," she asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, Stacey," I said as I watched her fling the door open and disappear inside.

"She's the one who was running from your brother, right?" Kate asked. I laughed and filled her in on how Sam was teasing her and throwing food at her to get her attention.

"Poor guy just doesn't know how to act around her. He really likes her, he just can't express it. He doesn't know how to woo her," I said. Kate shrugged.

"I think he's doing a good job," she replied. I looked at her.

"Really?" I asked…a little too eagerly. I looked down at the table. I was a little bummed out. According to her, Sam was doing well, while I was striking out.

"Well, how do you woo a girl?" she asked softly while stroking my arm.

Right then, I pushed all thoughts of Stacey out of my mind. It was just a little crush I had on her. I was acting like a sixth-grader—like a guy too pathetic to even tease a girl he liked. Maybe I wasn't even attracted to Stacey, it was just because I see her so much. I turned to Kate. Her long wavy hair was still a little wet. She was probably swimming earlier. Her face was tan and had a golden glow.

I leaned in and gently placed my hand on her neck. I reached down and kissed her lips. I pulled back a bit to look her. She slowly opened her eyes. I leaned in and our lips met again. I slowly opened my mouth and flicked my tongue in her mouth. She exhaled deeply and I reached my other hand down to her waist.

Kate and I were, ahem, busy on the deck for only a couple more minutes. We stopped after we realized we had an audience. Embarrassed, Kate buried her face against my shoulder and we walked down the porch and towards the main road. She kept her head on my shoulder and her hand laced through mine the entire walk to her cabin. It was...nice.


End file.
